The State government’s initiative to educate farmers on sustainable farm practices through Rythu Vedikas is all set to take a concrete shape with as many as five Rythu Vedikas, billed as centres of knowledge dissemination and collective decision making, slated for inauguration in the district on November 13.
In all, the Agriculture Department has drawn up a plan to open 129 Rythu Vedikas cluster-wise to cover as many as 584 gram panchayats in 21 mandals across the district soon. To be manned by Agriculture Extension Officers, the Rythu Vedikas will serve as platforms at the cluster level to impart requisite skills and knowledge on sustainable farm practices to the farmers in the form of interactive sessions with agricultural scientists, sources in the Agriculture Department said.
Minister for Agriculture S Niranjan Reddy along with Minister for Transport P Ajay Kumar will inaugurate as many as five Rythu Vedikas at Raghunadhapalem, V V Palem, Tanikella, Mustikuntla and Allipuram in Khammam division on Friday.
Work on the remaining Rythu Vedikas has almost been completed and the facilities will be thrown open to the farmers soon, sources added. The initiative aimed at empowering farmers through Rythu Vedikas evoked good response from several philanthropists, who donated land for as many as 26 Rythu Vedikas in different clusters in the district.
Transport Minister Mr Ajay has supported the endeavour by bearing the entire cost of construction of the Rythu Vedika built in Raghunadhapalem mandal headquarters town. Three others also voluntarily responded to the endeavour by bearing the expenditure of the construction of three Rythu Vedikas, one each at Kusumanchi, Rakya Tanda and V V Palem.
Sources said the four Rythu Vedikas will be named after the family members of the philanthropists as per their choice.
